


No One Else But You

by wrightworth



Series: i have to protect the one thing i can't live without: that's you [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Spoilers, Canon Compliant, Canon Continuation, F/M, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-12
Updated: 2018-08-12
Packaged: 2019-06-26 12:31:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15663282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wrightworth/pseuds/wrightworth
Summary: After three months, Tony Stark finally returns from Titan.





	No One Else But You

Tony Stark walked slowly down the steps of the aircraft; his bones creaking with every movement he made. Every limb, hair, and organ weighed him down. He was exhausted.

As he descended the stairs, he looked at the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and Avengers that had come to greet him. The agents’ voices stopped as they watched the Iron Man disembark. Two men offered to help him down the steps and to other transportation, but Tony refused. He did not want help. He did not deserve it.

Steve, Natasha, Bruce, and Thor were all there to greet him with open arms- they were glad to see that he was alive and well- but he did not have the strength to smile or return their excitement. He was only able to see the holes in the group. Where was Sam? Was Wanda still alive? Did Vision survive?

All he was able to muster was a small nod of acknowledgment as he passed through the crowd of agents and superheroes. His eyes were swollen from exhaustion and his head rang with pain. He could not handle the crowd that had gathered to see him. It was all too much.

His next movements were a blur; in the end, he managed to end up in a filthy taxi that drove him to his mansion on the outskirts of New York. The taxi driver had tried to start a conversation with him; after all, it was _The_ Iron Man that sat in the back seat of his car. Despite the driver’s excited chatter, Tony remained silent with glazed eyes staring into the distance. A sharp pain tore at his chest as if the former shrapnel in his heart had suddenly reappeared. He rubbed his beaten and battered face, wincing at the pain, as he zoned out the driver and tried to focus on the world outside.

What he had seen- no, what he had _endured_ over the past three months was indescribable. Perhaps one day he would share his experiences with his friends, but for now, he would suffer by himself. He had let a young boy die; he had let the half the universe disappear; he had let a delusional beast shatter the galaxy’s order. Most of all, Tony Stark had failed himself. He thought he had the situation under control, but the results of his actions proved otherwise.

The taxi pulled up to the curb of his house, and the driver made a remark about his home that he didn’t hear. Instead, Tony paid quickly and left the car. He walked up the front steps of his house and grabbed his house key to open the door. His hand trembled as he tried to unlock the door. After what seemed like forever, he finally unlocked the door.

“Pepper?” he called, as he walked through the door, “It’s me. I’m…”

His voice dropped to almost a whisper.

“I’m _home_.”

The words sounded strange on his tongue. Home: a place Tony had not been for months. And yet, it was the only thing that he had been yearning for every single day.

He stopped in his tracks awaiting her response, and yet, there was none. He had not heard his fiancée’s voice since the day he arrived on Titan; he missed her scolding and caring words. Unfortunately, all he heard was a newsreel detailing his arrival on Earth from the living room television set.

Confused, Tony called her name again. “Pepper?”

Still, no response. He slowly approached the living room. With every step, the voices on the T.V. got louder. The news anchor’s voice echoed throughout the hallway.

“TONY STARK, THE IRON MAN, RETURNED TO EARTH TODAY. HE DID NOT RESPOND TO COMMENTS FROM THE PRESS BUT INSTEAD HEADED STRAIGHT TOWARDS A TAXI. DID IRON MAN HAND BUILD A SPACESHIP TO RETURN HOME? ACCORDING TO RUMOURS THESE PAST MONTHS, STARK’S RETURN WAS SUPPOSED TO BE NEAR IMPOSSIBLE. THE AVENGERS AND S.H.I.E.L.D. DID NOT RESPOND TO INQUIRIES.”

Maybe she was taking a nap. She always liked taking afternoon naps when she was off from work, after all. No, maybe she was working today. Pepper was the type to keep on working despite the troubles in her life. Just because Tony was gone, it would not stop her. But why would she leave the TV on if she went out? That was unlike her.

He entered the living room, his chest filling with anticipation and fear.

Tony’s heart stopped.

A broken wine glass, a stained carpet, and dropped T.V. remote laid on the floor. A familiar dust remained on the surface of the carpet, covering the broken shards and stains.

Falling to his knees, his hands tried to grip an end table but failed. With a thud, he fell to the floor and crawled towards the mess.

“Pepper?" he asked with his voice wavering.

“Pepper, where are you?”

Although he recognized the material that was scattered around the carpet- for God’s sake, he had held a young boy as he disintegrated- he was in denial.

 _This is all a dream. Wake up,_  he told himself as he looked at the scene. _Wake up!_

His hands began to tremble.

He knew it wasn’t a dream, but how could he accept this?

Pepper had disappeared: something only Tony thought of in his nightmares.

_It’s your fault, you fucking moron. You had to screw up the mission._

_Look what you did!_

He had killed the only person he had left in this world.

Tony grabbed at the shards of glass, trying to find a clue, trying to find _something_ that proved that she was alive. Instead, he was presented with bloody hands and a searing pain that rippled through his hands. He wanted to scream- and yet, no sound escaped his lips. Bile filled his throat as he choked back tears. He dropped the shards and sat with his back resting against the sofa. His legs curled to his chest, and he wrapped his bloodied hands around his knees. His vision began to blur as his breath quickened, tears falling down his face.

She was gone.

 _I had no one but you,_ he thought. _And I killed you._

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! `7`)/  
> Sorry for all the angst one-shots.  
> The update for my Steve Rogers/Tony Stark fanfiction, _Untouchable_ , is in the works. I'm currently writing it any time I can! (And I'm on vacation, so that says a lot!) In the meantime, [check out my Scott Lang/Hope van Dyne AU](https://twitter.com/nidavellir_/status/1018248655889891330). It will be revised and uploaded on AO3 once it's finished.  
> \--  
> Thank you to my best friend Gillian for reading and editing this work. I love you, Gilly Billy Pumpkin Strudel! :)
> 
> I take fanfiction requests, prompts, etc. on [my Twitter](http://twitter.com/nidavellir_). I also do commissions for AUs and even fanfiction. Send me a DM and we can talk about pricing ($3/1000 words or $30 for a fully developed multi-chapter fanfiction ~10k+ words) and ideas! Commissioning me would help me fund school supplies, a future business venture I am pursuing, and my hobbies.


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